


Please Join My Band!

by Black_Dwarf



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Coffeeshop AU, Fan art would be awesome!, Fluff, In this Bobby is just Bobby, M/M, Not exactly Trevor Wilson, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:48:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27431506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Dwarf/pseuds/Black_Dwarf
Summary: Luke's go-to romantic move is inviting people to join his band, apparently. Whether that will work on his newest crush remains to be seen.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Luke Patterson/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 52
Kudos: 280
Collections: JATP Appreciation Week





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yeoyou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yeoyou/gifts).



> Entry for Julie and the Phantoms Appreciation Week (Tumblr),
> 
> Day 6 - Fanfic Prompt 6 - Favorite Fanfic Trope: Coffeeshop AU.
> 
> Full disclosure: I had no clue what trope to go with so I went for one of the most popular AU tropes. Hope that still counts. It’s not exactly my favorite AU but I did think that it would work well in this fandom and with these characters. Hope you enjoy it! :)

* * *

**Chapter 1**

“Barnes. Barnes are you listening?!” Reggie looked up from the freshly opened bag of coffee beans he’d been staring into for a good half minute. Mitch stood next to him, clearly about to lose his patience. 

“We’ve got customers at table twelve. Go take their orders, okay?” 

Reggie nodded and moved over to the table and the two boys that now occupied it.

One boy was tall and blonde, the other, shorter one, had brown hair and pretty eyes. He checked himself. Where had that observation come from?

“Hey there!” he smiled politely at them. “Can I take your orders?”

“Hi!,” the dark haired boy lifted his head and shot him a huge smile. It was quite dazzling. _Focus Reggie._

“Oh, we haven’t decided yet. Can you recommend anything?”

Reggie stared at him for a second. Why was he so unfocused today? These guys must think he was an idiot.  
“Err, well the pecan pie is really good. And..ah..we’ve got pumpkin spice latte. That’s always a favorite,” he finally managed, thankfully. At least he wasn’t about to completely lose his marbles over this new strange infatuation of his.

“Oh, that sounds amazing. I’ll have both. How about you Alex?” The last question was directed at the guy’s companion, the tall blonde one.

“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll have the same.” The blonde boy smiled at Reggie politely who nodded and moved back to the counter to get the food and prepare the beverages.

* * *

Luke’s gaze followed the waiter until he realized that Alex had spoken to him.

“Sorry, got distracted. What did you say?”

Alex shot him a grin. “Distracted...I see. Sure it’s got nothing to do with the pretty boy that just took our orders?”

“Whaaat..no! Well, maybe.” Luke chuckled. “He’s cute.” 

“I guess..” Alex said, thoughtfully. “If you like them clueless.” 

“He’s not—” but he fell silent as the boy in question had just returned and placed two plates of pie in front of them. 

“I’ll be back with the lattes. Enjoy your pie!”

“We will! Thank you!” Luke shot another of his thousand-watt smiles at their waiter who seemed to momentarily forget himself and just stared back at him. 

“Yeah thank you!” Alex said and raised his eyebrow at Luke who just smirked at him. 

Upon hearing Alex’s voice the waiter finally came out of his trance. His cheeks turned bright red and he shuffled off without another word. 

“The poor guy. Just leave him alone, okay?” Alex shook his head in exasperation at his friend. “I think he might need a reboot after this.” But Luke just shot him another grin.

* * *

Reggie was finished preparing the two beverages but he was a little hesitant about approaching the table again. He already had made enough of a fool of himself today. Perhaps he could get Mitch to deliver the lattes? A quick glance over to his boss killed that idea instantly. Mitch looked pissed off and Reggie didn’t want to lose this job. He really needed the money. So he just sighed, placed the two glasses on the tray and walked back to table twelve.

“Here are your lattes. Enjoy!” He was about to turn and leave when he felt a hand on his arm. He froze. 

“Hold on a sec. What’s your name? The brown-haired guy had spoken and levelled his eyes at him. 

“Reggie.” He hoped they could keep this exchange short so it wouldn’t devolve into further embarrassment for him. 

“Nice to meet you Reggie! My name is Luke. This is Alex.” He motioned over to this companion but Reggie already knew his name.  
“Hey there!” Alex nodded in his direction. 

Reggie looked between them. Was he supposed to say something else? His mind was completely blank. 

“So,” that was Luke again. “What do you do? When you’re not working here, I mean.”

“I..I’m in a band with a friend.” Reggie spoke slowly, as if remembering anything beyond the past five minutes was really difficult. 

“Oh, that’s fantastic. Alex and I are in a band as well. Well trying to form one to be honest. We’re still missing a few essential pieces. What do you play?”

“Bass” Best keep it short and simple. 

Upon hearing that Luke shot his friend Alex a huge grin. “That’s awesome. We actually need a bass player for our group. Do you think you’d be interested? Your friend as well, of course.” 

Reggie hesitated. It sounded nice but he had to ask Bobby first before agreeing to anything. And he wasn’t entirely sure that joining a band with Luke was a good idea given the effect the guy had on him.

“I’ll think about it. I’m sorry, I really need to get back to work.” Given that the place was completely empty except for the two customers sitting in front of him, that was clearly a lie but he couldn’t help himself. He needed to get out of this conversation. Luke looked disappointed but he nodded.

“Of course. Well, think about it.” He scribbled something on a napkin and handed it over to Reggie. “Just call me, if you’ve made a decision.” Reggie nodded slowly, took the offered napkin and left the table.

* * *

“You might have asked me first before inviting new people to join _Sunset Curve_. We don’t even know if he is any good.” Alex admonished and gave Luke a stern look. 

“It doesn’t matter now. Seems like he isn’t interested anyway.” Luke replied dispiritedly. “Pity.” 

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Seems to me you had quite an effect on him,” Alex teased, clearly trying to lift Luke’s spirits. “You never know. He may call you back after all.” They finished their pie and beverages and Reggie came over once more to take their money. They tipped him generously and he thanked them politely all the while avoiding Luke’s eyes. Luke felt discouraged. He had been so sure there was something there. Maybe just his imagination. He tended to bulldoze over people and Alex told him numerous times that not everyone was able to handle that well. He just hoped that he hadn’t inadvertently driven Reggie away before he had a chance to really get to know him. He was still lost in thought when they left the coffee shop. He didn’t notice that Reggie was staring after him. His gaze following them until he and Alex had turned a corner and vanished out of sight.

* * *

It had been three weeks and Reggie had never called him back. That was as clear an answer as Luke was likely to get. So why exactly did he come back here? He stood in front of the café and looked inside. There were only a couple of customers. Reggie stood at the coffee machine, his back turned to the door. What exactly did Luke hope to achieve here? But it wasn’t in his nature to give up that easily and if Reggie wasn’t interested in joining their band he would have to tell Luke so in person. He stepped inside and found that the table that he and Alex had occupied last time was empty. _Perfect_ , he thought. _Let’s see how this goes._ He took the menu and tried to hide behind it. Better not give Reggie the chance to run away before Luke had another opportunity to talk to him.

“Hey there! Can I take your order?” Luke heard the familiar voice and looked up. Upon recognizing him Reggie’s eyes widened.

“Hey! Not sure if you remember me. But if you do, I’ll take the same thing I had last time.” 

“That was the pecan pie and the pumpkin spice latte, yes? I’ll get them to you asap.” 

So he did remember the order. _Interesting._ A few minutes later Reggie delivered the pie and the beverage but didn’t wait around to chat. That was okay. Luke could wait. He took out his notebook and started writing on the new song that he’d been thinking about over the last few days. It was going to be called _Crooked Teeth._ Time passed and Luke ordered another latte as the rest of the customers paid up one after the other and left. He checked his watch. It was about closing time. Nobody else was left. Now was his chance. 

He got up from the table and moved over to the counter. As he noticed him approaching Reggie tensed up and looked down at his hands. That was unfortunate. He really didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. But he had to find out one way or the other. 

“Hey!,” he said, smiling and trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. “I’d like to pay.” 

“Sure,” Reggie replied. “But I could have just come over for that.”

“You know. I was just wondering. About the stuff we talked about last time. I’m assuming you aren’t interested in joining the band? I mean because you never called me back,” Luke asked hesitantly. 

At that Reggie looked up with an unreadable expression. 

“That’s not it at all,” he finally said to Luke’s utter surprise. “I tried.” Reggie rummaged through his pockets and handed him a piece of scrunched up napkin. Luke studied it and realized it was the one he had given to Reggie three weeks ago. The one with his name and number. On closer inspection he noticed that it was completely illegible. _Damn his shoddy handwriting_.

“I couldn’t read the numbers. The only recognizable thing was your name and that’s only because you told me. I did try but none of the guys I did reach had any clue who you were.” 

Upon hearing that, a huge smile crossed Luke’s face. “So.. you are interested?, he asked excitedly. 

Reggie nodded. “I am, and so is Bobby. We should probably have a trial session. See how we sound together before making a final decision.” 

“Of course,” Luke agreed. He felt elated. _This was going to be perfect_. “Let me write down the address for you.”

“Probably best if you just tell me and I write it down myself.” Reggie winked at him. “Or else I’ll never find you again.”

_The End (but not really)_

* * *

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So by popular demand - of two ;) - and since I'm still procrastinating on my other story, I've decide to expand on this and add a second chapter. Hope this lives up to everyone's expectations. And that it still counts as fluff ;). This hasn't been beta-read so please just ignore any mistakes and grammatical errors you might find. Hope you enjoy this!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

It had been a few months since Reggie and his friend Bobby had joined _Sunset Curve_ and things were going great. They really worked well together and Luke was certain that their success was inevitable. What he was less certain about were his chances with Reggie. Alex kept trying to push him to just ask Reggie out but Luke was hesitant. What if Reggie didn’t feel the same way about him? What if coming on to Reggie would drive their new bassist away? The band’s success was so much more important than any feelings that Luke may have developed. And they needed Reggie and Bobby to succeed, of that he was absolutely sure.

So he kept looking for signs. Some proof that Reggie was into him. But there was nothing. Or at least nothing conclusive. There was an energy when they sang together. And whenever they shared a mic it felt electric. But none of that actually meant that Reggie was interested in a romantic relationship. 

“If you’re not going to ask him out, I will,” Alex proclaimed one evening, staring at his friend in exasperation.

“What?!” Luke exclaimed, “I thought he wasn’t your type?”

“Perhaps I’ve changed my mind.” Alex sounded smug. “And if you’re not going to make a move, I might as well.” 

“Don’t you dare!” Luke was panicking now. While he was reasonably certain that Alex was only joking he couldn’t be entirely sure. _You never knew with him_.

“Honestly Luke. I don’t get it. He’s clearly into you. Why can’t you see that?” Alex was grinning now.

“I can’t be sure. And why should I risk losing what we have now?” 

At Luke’s reply Alex just rolled his eyes and continued packing up his things. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow at practice. Just keep in mind what I said. If you wait too long someone else might beat you to it.”

Luke sat down on the couch, pondering what Alex had just said. Was his friend right? Should he just confront Reggie and ask him point blank how he felt about Luke? What was the worst that could happen? An hour went by and still Luke couldn’t make up his mind so he finally decided to call it a night. It was past ten o’clock. He really should get home. His parents were probably worried already. He hurried to pack up his stuff and left the studio. His notebook lay forgotten on the table.

* * *

Luke was in high spirits. They had started practicing on two of his new songs and Bobby had managed to procure them a small gig at a local venue. They’d decided to celebrate the occasion by going out for hot dogs. 

“You ready?” Alex asked from the door. He and Bobby were already finished packing up their things and ready to leave. But Luke was still looking for his notebook. He couldn’t remember where he had left it.

“Not yet,” he replied absentmindedly. 

“Well, we’ll go ahead and meet you there, okay?” Alex responded, then he took Bobby by the arm and left the studio. Luke just nodded and kept rummaging through his things.

Where was his notebook? Suddenly a thought occurred to him. He had just seen Bobby and Alex leave but where was Reggie? He looked up and saw that the boy in question was sitting on the couch staring at something in his hands. His insides grew cold as he realized what Reggie was holding. It was his notebook. 

Luke’s mind was racing. Had he written anything incriminating in that book? Anything about his feelings for Reggie? He couldn’t remember. 

He hurried over to his friend and cleared his throat.

“You found it! That’s great.” Luke said, trying not to let on how nervous he felt. Upon hearing his voice Reggie looked up, green eyes searching his face.

“Yeah,” Reggie replied. “I was just looking at that new song you wrote. _Crooked Teeth._ It’s pretty cool.”

 _Oh no!_ Luke thought. _Of all the songs, why did it have to be that one?_

“It’s not yet finished,” he responded quickly and made a grab for the book. But Reggie turned and kept it out of his reach.

“Mind telling me who it’s about?”

 _Darn,_ Luke thought. Why had he left the book lying around? How could he be so careless? And what should he tell Reggie now? The truth?

Reggie was still looking at him, clearly waiting for an answer.

“Nobody in particular,” Luke responded, trying to sound nonchalant. “Just something that popped into my head. Not sure where I got the inspiration.”

“I see,” Reggie replied slowly. Then he closed the notebook, stood up from the couch and handed it over to Luke. Something about the atmosphere in the room had changed but Luke couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Reggie had picked up his leather jacket and was in the process of zipping up the case for his bass. His back was turned. 

“Well,” Reggie suddenly spoke up, “if it were about somebody I knew you would tell me, right?” His voice sounded neutral.

“Yeah, sure!” Luke replied quickly, hoping that this answer would satisfy his friend.

Reggie finally turned around. His expression was unreadable. 

“Are you going to join us for some street dogs?” Luke asked hopefully but Reggie shook his head. 

“Not today, no. I have work tomorrow. Talk to you later.” And with that he shouldered the bass case and hurried out of the studio without another glance back, leaving Luke behind to ponder what had just happened. Somehow he felt like he’d just made a colossal mistake. But he couldn’t for the life of him figure out why. 

* * *

It was the evening before their first gig. But something was off and had been for the last couple of days. Reggie didn’t seem to be his usual self. He avoided Luke’s eyes and when Luke gave him his little head shake to indicate that Reggie should come over to join him on the microphone Reggie ignored him. After practice Reggie was the first one to pack up and leave with only a short goodbye. Bobby followed soon after.

When they were both gone Alex, who had clearly been waiting for a chance to talk to Luke alone, came over.

“Mind telling me what the hell is going on?” 

“What do you mean?” Luke asked, avoiding Alex’s eyes.

“Don’t give me that. You know full well what I mean.” Alex shot him an incredulous look. “What’s up with you and Reggie? Surely you’ve noticed that he’s been acting weird?” Finally Luke gave in and told Alex about his conversation with the bassist from a few nights ago.

“I don’t get it.” Alex finally spoke up, thoughtfully. “Never heard of that song. What is it actually about?”

Luke handed the notebook over to Alex wordlessly, the page open at the song in question. Alex took it and studied the lyrics.

“I’m surprised this is actually legible,” he quipped.

“Yeah well I wish it wasn’t!” Luke muttered in response.

Alex shot him another questioning look and began to read. After a few minutes he closed the book. His expression had changed. “You think he suspects?”

“Of course he does!” Luke shot back. “Or do you have a better explanation for why he’s suddenly avoiding me like the plague? I told you what would happen. I told you!” Luke grew increasingly desperate. He sat down on the couch heavily, his hands covering his face. Suddenly he felt Alex arm around his shoulder. His friend had sat down next to him. 

“Please just talk to him.” Alex whispered.

“It’s too late now.” Luke replied defeatedly. Alex’s grip around his friend tightened but he remained silent.

* * *

The concert went well and the band had gathered back at the studio to celebrate their success. Reggie seemed more relaxed and was talking animatedly with Alex and Bobby but Luke noticed that he was still keeping his distance from him. 

“Gosh, look at the time! I really need to get home.” Alex suddenly said and got up from the couch. 

“Wait up, I’ll join you.” Bobby responded and stood up as well. 

Reggie looked at them. “If you guys could give me a minute, I’ll come with you.” 

“Sure thing, “ Bobby responded. “We’ll see you outside.” And with that he and Alex left the studio. Reggie stared after them, with a slight frown. Then he gulped down the last of his beverage and got up himself, ready to leave. 

“See you tomorrow,” he mumbled in Luke’s direction then grabbed his jacket, hurried towards the door and reached for the handle. He halted. His expression had visibly darkened.

“What’s wrong?” Luke asked from the couch.

“The door,” Reggie responded. “It’s locked.”

“Are you serious?” Luke finally got up and joined Reggie at the door. He tried to open it but Reggie was right, it wouldn’t budge.

“Guys!” Luke called out. “Guys! Come one! This isn’t funny. Open the door!”

But on the other side there was no sound to be heard. 

“What exactly are they playing at?” Reggie sounded annoyed.

Luke had an inkling what this was about. _Damn you Alex_ , he thought to himself. Outwardly he just shrugged and returned to settle on the couch. There was nothing else to be done for now. Reggie hovered at the door for another few seconds, then he sighed and sat down on the couch as well. “I’ll make them pay!” he muttered, darkly. 

Luke nodded in silent agreement. 

“So,” Reggie spoke up again, “what now?” He looked at Luke questioningly and for once it was Luke’s turn to avoid Reggie’s eyes. A heavy silence settled between them.

At some point Reggie got up and started pacing the room. Finally he stopped.

“You know. While we’ve got the time, I have a question for you.”

Luke felt dread settle in his stomach. _Here we go_ , he thought, regretfully. _This is how it ends._

“The song,” Reggie had crossed his arms and was staring at Luke. “It’s about Alex, isn’t it?” 

Luke finally looked in his direction. He was speechless.

“Why can't you just admit it?” Reggie continued. He looked hurt.

“What? No it isn’t!” Luke finally managed to say. This whole conversation had taken quite a different turn from what he’d been expecting and he felt completely lost.

“Then who?” Reggie asked, sounding surprised.

“If you must know,” Luke sighed. “It’s about you, okay? I had no idea it would be such a problem for you. Guess I didn’t know you as well as I thought.” The room fell silent once more and Luke didn’t want to look at Reggie, too scared of what he would find in his friend’s eyes.

He was surprised when he felt Reggie settling down next to him. And even more astonished when Reggie reached over and took his hand. 

“Why wouldn’t you just tell me?” Luke finally looked up and studied his friend’s face. For the first time in what felt like ages he found Reggie smiling at him.

“I thought...I thought you didn’t–”

“Didn’t what? Reciprocate?” Reggie interrupted, shaking his head. “Damn Luke, you are even more oblivious than I am and that’s saying something.” And with that Reggie leaned over and kissed him. Luke’s eyes widened in surprise. For a second he froze, unable to compute what was happening. But finally realization dawned and he leaned in and kissed Reggie back. 

After a few moments Reggie broke the contact, slightly out of breath. “I say we still make them pay, though,” he said, grinning at Luke.

“Agreed,” Luke smiled wickedly. “But let’s take some time to plan our revenge.”

Reggie nodded. “They’ll never see it coming.” Then he leaned forward again and captured Luke’s mouth in another passionate kiss.

 _Yeah_ , Luke thought to himself. _This is nice_. _We’ll have plenty of time for revenge later._ _Much much later._

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reggie and Luke exact their revenge on their hapless friends and Bobby and Alex start questioning their life choices.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

It was a warm sunny day. Alex, Luke and Reggie were walking along the beach promenade and discussing another upcoming gig. This time they would be playing in front of a few hundred people in one of the more popular clubs around Hollywood. It was quite a step up. Reggie and Luke were walking hand in hand and Alex had to quell the jealousy that was rearing its ugly head. After all, he and Bobby had actually been instrumental in bringing them together. Sadly, neither Reggie nor Luke had appeared to be particularly grateful for that. In fact Alex had caught them staring a few times, malicious intent clearly written on their faces. They were plotting something, of this Alex was absolutely sure. And he was anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

Alex had been so lost in thought he completely overlooked the boy on the skateboard that was approaching at full speed and would have collided with him had Luke not pulled him away at the last minute. For a moment he felt disoriented. When Alex looked up the skater boy was in front of them, apologizing profusely. 

“What the hell man!” Luke muttered angrily, “You nearly ran us over!”

The boy looked thoroughly chastised. He took off his helmet and Alex was mesmerized as the boy shook his head and a flow of long chocolate colored hair cascaded down his shoulders. He was incredibly handsome. 

“So so sorry! I didn’t see you there!” The boy was now talking directly to Alex who finally managed to get a grip and closed his mouth. 

“Err, that’s okay. I’m alright.” Alex mumbled in reply. 

“Are you sure you’re alright? Can I do anything for you? I’m Willie by the way. What’s your name?” 

“Alex..” he replied. The boy directed the full force of his perfect smile at Alex. Was he flirting with him? But Alex was still too stunned to really react properly so he just shook his head. “No man, it’s okay. I’m good. Just drive more carefully from now on, okay?” 

And with that he walked on, leaving Willie behind. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Reggie and Luke exchange glances. Then they hurried after him.

“He’s cute.” Reggie said, looking back in the direction of Willie. "Why don’t you go back and talk to him? We can go on ahead without you.” 

“Nah,” I’m good,” Alex responded, slightly flustered. In truth Willie had left quite an impression. He just wasn’t sure how to handle it.

“I see.” A grin spread across Reggie’s face. “That’s a shame.. I think he’s super hot. What do you say we invite him to join us then, Luke? Spice things up a little?” 

Luke grinned back. “Sounds awesome!” 

“I’ll go ask him. Be right back.” And with that Reggie spun on his heels and headed back towards the boy in question. Alex tried to stop him but Reggie was too fast, evading Alex’s grip when he tried to hold on to Reggie’s jacket. 

“You have to stop him“, Alex looked at Luke desperately and pleaded in a high pitched voice.

“Hmm,“ Luke responded slowly, as if considering. “Sounds like work. Hard pass on that.“

“Who are you? And what have you done to my best friend?“ Alex shot back in outrage. But Luke just grinned at him and remained silent. At that moment Reggie returned, waving around a piece of paper. 

“I got his number!“ he exclaimed triumphantly. Alex tried to grab it but Reggie evaded him once again, and wagged his finger at Alex. “Oh nononono. You had your chance. This is mine now.“ He sprinted away with a bounce in his step, cackling madly. Like a demented version of Tigger. 

“He‘s insane.“ Alex groaned and shot a look in Luke’s direction.

“Yeah,“ Luke was staring after his boyfriend with a fond expression on his face. “He‘s absolutely perfect, isn’t he?“ And with that he left Alex’s side and hurried after Reggie. Alex stared after them.

 _Oh no!,_ he thought _. What have we done?_

* * *

“They are everywhere!“ Bobby complained. He sounded desperate. “I turn a corner and there they are. I‘m in the studio minding my own business and when I look up I see them watching me. It’s like they are stalking me or something.“ He stared morosely into his milkshake. “When will this end?“

Alex and Bobby were sitting in a small diner a few blocks from their studio. Luke and Reggie had promised to join them but they were late as usual. Which gave Alex and Bobby plenty of time to discuss the current situation. 

Alex looked at him with a grim expression. “I don’t know. When Luke gets tired of this, I guess. Maybe a year....“

At that Bobby nearly spit out the milkshake he‘d just swallowed down. He was coughing. “A YEAR?!“ Bobby stared at Alex in shock.

“I blame Luke.“ Bobby muttered. “Reggie was a sweet innocent kid before he met him.“ 

“I wholeheartedly disagree,“ Alex replied forcefully. “Luke has always been a responsible and mature guy. All this childish nonsense. That’s clearly Reggie‘s bad influence.“ They continued bickering about which party had been the corrupting force in their friends‘ relationship until Alex suddenly motioned for Bobby to be quiet. 

“Speaking of the devil..“ Alex gestured towards the door of the diner where the disaster duo had just walked in. When they spotted them, matching grins appeared on their faces and they hurried over to join Alex and Bobby. Luke sat down next to Alex and Reggie slid into the booth with Bobby. 

“Hey there!” they greeted in unison. 

_Like demonic twins_ , Alex thought to himself. 

“I’m going to grab a cookie. Do you guys want anything?” Bobby asked and motioned for Reggie to let him exit the booth.

“Haven’t decided yet,” Luke responded, making a show of studying the menu. Bobby eyed him suspiciously but then just shrugged and left.

Reggie fumbled with a pen then suddenly dropped it. It skidded across the table towards Alex, then fell down and landed at his feet. Alex rolled his eyes then vanished underneath the table to retrieve it. When he came back up he caught Reggie and Luke grinning at each other. Alex shot them a questioning look but they both just stared back at him innocently. At this moment Bobby returned with a large double chocolate chip cookie and a happy smile on his face. That was until he met Luke and Reggie’s stares. Both guys were looking at him with an expression that could best be described as maniacal glee. 

“Wait.” Bobby raised his eyebrows at them. “Did you do something to my drink? You did, didn’t you?” 

“Whaaaat?” Luke exclaimed in mock outrage. 

“That’s slander.” Reggie huffed.

Bobby shot a look in Alex’s direction. “Were you watching my milkshake?” Alex nodded. “Really?” Bobby questioned. “This whole time?” A thought suddenly occurred to Alex. The pen incident had seemed staged. And hadn’t he caught Reggie and Luke exchanging glances? Was he imagining it or had Bobby’s milkshake moved from his previous spot? He shrugged at Bobby helplessly. 

“Well, if we aren’t being trusted it’s best we just leave, right Luke?” Reggie sounded hurt. His acting skills were quite impressive.  
“Agreed.” Luke responded. “I guess we’ll get our lunch elsewhere.” And with that they both got up and left. Bobby eyed his milkshake with a look of distrust. He sniffed at it.

Suddenly Reggie returned. “Seems like you won’t be having this, right?” He grinned at Bobby, took the milkshake out of his hand and emptied it in one gulp. “Delicious.” He smiled at them both then turned around and headed to the door where Luke was already waiting for him.

"You know,“ Bobby said thoughtfully, his gaze following Luke and Reggie as they left the diner. “I was wrong. They’re both evil.“

Alex nodded in agreement. “Gone to the dark side. Permanently.” He sighed. “I guess it’s true what they say. No good deed goes unpunished.“

* * *

The club was packed, the atmosphere electric, and the guys were having the time of their lives. Luke and Reggie had another one of their shared mic moments and once again Alex couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that it had taken these two idiots so long to figure out their feelings for each other. Then again he wasn’t feeling particularly charitable towards them at the moment. Reggie and Luke had kept up their antics throughout the last couple of weeks and had driven both him and Bobby to their wit’s end. _What a way to show gratitude._ He really was beginning to regret that he had gotten involved. They’d probably still be oblivious if he hadn’t intervened, which at this point was exactly what they would have deserved.

As Alex was scanning the faces in the crowd he suddenly took a double turn. Right in front of the stage and among the only people in the audience whose faces were actually discernible in the dim light, he noticed a familiar figure with long brown hair and an irresistible smile. It was Willie, the skater boy that had nearly run him over a few weeks ago. What was he doing here? But he didn’t have time to ponder whether this was a coincidence as they were coming around to the final part of _Now and Never,_ which included his solo. 

Singing in front of a crowd always made Alex nervous but this time he managed to hit every note perfectly. The crowd cheered and when the song ended the four band members stepped towards the front of the stage and took their final bow. Alex caught Willie’s eyes and shot a smile in his direction before being dragged off stage by Reggie and Luke. He didn’t have time to confront either of them about Willie’s appearance as both Reggie and Luke didn’t linger in the dressing room but headed back straight away to sign autographs for their fans. _Their fans._ It still sounded surreal in his head. Bobby gave him a slight nod then followed Reggie and Luke.

Alex remained where he was, wondering what to do next. Should he go back and try to find Willie? Had Reggie actually been serious about making a pass at him. The thought filled him with dread and no small amount of jealousy. But surely Luke would mind if he couldn’t have Reggie to himself, right? Well, sitting around in the room and moping wouldn’t do him any good. So Alex finally decided to get out and get some answers. 

As he stepped back into the main room he noticed that Luke and Reggie were surrounded by a throng of girls. Bobby stood further away and was talking to one of the tech guys. Like Alex himself, Bobby wasn’t that comfortable around fans. He preferred to stay out of the limelight. Near the exit to the venue, he finally saw the person he was looking for. Willie was standing there, arms crossed and looking directly at him with a huge smile on his face. Well, it was time to get to the bottom of this. Even if, as he suspected, Willie wasn’t actually here to see him. 

“Hey!” Willie said, as he saw Alex approaching. “You guys were amazing!”

“Hey there!” he greeted Willie with a small smile. “Glad to hear you enjoyed it. So I guess you’re here for Reggie?” 

“Who is Reggie?” Willie looked at him confused.

“Reggie… the guy you gave your number to. Presumably the guy who invited you here?” Alex said, slowly.

“Ah right, your friend.” Willie grinned, realization dawning on his face. “Didn’t actually introduce himself. Just asked me for my number. Said you were too shy to ask yourself.”

Willie chuckled as he saw the look of surprise on Alex’s face. 

“So you’re not here for Reggie?” Alex asked, just to be certain.

“No. Your friend called me, about a week or so ago. Told me that if I wanted to see _you_ again I should come here, tonight.” Willie shot him another incandescent smile and Alex was lost for words. He was still trying to think of anything smart to say in reply when he felt someone behind him. He turned to see that Reggie was standing there with a huge grin on his face. 

“Nice to see you again!” Reggie said, looking at Willie. “Glad you could make it.” 

Then he turned to Alex. “Listen, we are going to grab some food. We’ll meet you later in the studio, okay? Take your time.” He winked at him, then turned and vanished back into the crowd before Alex had time to respond. 

“Your friend seems pretty cool.” Willie was still smiling. “So, seeing as you‘ve got nowhere else to be. How about we go get something to eat ourselves and you can tell me all about you.” Alex just nodded silently as Willie took his hand and pulled him towards the exit.

* * *

Reggie joined Luke and Bobby back in the dressing room.  
“Mission accomplished!” he exclaimed happily. “Now let’s go get some food!” 

Bobby looked at them uncomprehendingly but Alex and Luke just smiled mysteriously and dragged him back outside.

“Where are we going?” Bobby questioned, sounding nervous. “Where is Alex?”

“Alex is preoccupied with his new crush.” Reggie grinned. “Let’s go get a hot dog. I’m starving.”

“Hot dogs?” Bobby still sounded nervous.

“Relax Bobby!” Reggie was laughing now. “We’re not planning to poison you. If it makes you feel better. We can get something else. Whatever you like.” 

A smile crossed Bobby’s face. “Fine,” he agreed. “But I’m done with hot dogs. Let’s celebrate with something decent for once. I’m voting burger and fries. And I know just the place.” 

“Very well...” Luke began. “..lead the way!” Reggie finished his sentence. Then they flanked Bobby on either side, linked their arms with him and let him guide them to their destination.

* * *

  
  



End file.
